MLB Top 100: #60-51
Welcome back to to the countdown of my top 100 players in Major League Baseball! To find #70-61, click here or at the link at the bottom of the page.
60. Yandy Diaz (34), 2024 rank: #28
2024: 621 PA, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 0 SB, .281/.341/.414, 120 wRC+, -5 DRS, -3 OAA, 1.9 fWAR
Despite a down season compared to his career year in 2023, Yandy Diaz has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last three years. Since the start of 2022, Diaz has posted a slash line of .302/.383/.453, which is good for an .836 OPS and 143 wRC+. He’s always a hitter you can count on to draw his walks and limit strikeouts. The big question for Diaz is if he’s going to lift the ball enough because he has some of the best raw power in the game. He doesn’t provide much outside of the bat, so he hopefully will tap back into more of that power in 2025, especially since he’s entering his mid-30s and his very best seasons might be behind him. Regardless, this is a bat you can pencil in for above-average production.
59. Tyler Glasnow (31), 2024 rank: #62
2024: 134.0 IP, 3.49 ERA, 2.90 FIP, 0.95 WHIP, 25.5 K-BB%, 3.8 fWAR
Coming off of a season in which he set a career-high in innings pitched, Glasnow once again surpassed that number. However, his season was cut short once again. The injury bug has unfortunately been the theme of Glasnow’s career, and he’s shown that he can hang around with the best pitchers in baseball when healthy. As he was last year, he’s heading into the season healthy, but you of course can’t count on him to deliver a full season - because he never has. He has managed to log 43 starts over the last two seasons, and in that time frame sports a 3.51 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, and a 25.6 K-BB%. His FIP, WHIP, and K-BB% all rank within the top three among pitchers with a minimum of 250 innings over that span.
58. Kyle Schwarber (31), 2024 rank: #61
2024: 692 PA, 38 HR, 104 RBI, 5 SB, .248/.366/.485, 135 wRC+, 0 DRS, -1 OAA, 3.4 fWAR
Kyle Schwarber is one of the few hitters in baseball that you know quite exactly what you are going to get from. He’s going to walk and strikeout a lot, and he’s going to hit a lot of home runs. Since the start of 2022, only Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso have hit more home runs, and only Judge and Juan Soto have drawn more walks. He’s a very professional hitter that really leans into his strengths and makes it work. He gets the postseason bump as well as he’s tied with his teammate Bryce Harper for the most postseason home runs since 2022. He also possesses a .933 OPS and 147 wRC+ in 150 postseason plate appearances in that time frame as well. He won’t provide much else where, but his bat has been good enough and should remain good enough to warrant a top 60 spot.
57. Blake Snell (32), 2024 rank: #51
2024: 104.0 IP, 3.12 ERA, 2.43 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 24.2 K-BB%, 3.1 fWAR
Blake Snell is similar to Tyler Glasnow in that it’s rare he stays healthy for an entire season, however, in Snell’s two lone seasons with at least 30 starts he has won a Cy Young award. I’ve been a bit lower than many on Snell simply because of how many walks he gives up, but it’s worth noting that he’s one of the premier strikeout pitchers the game has to offer. He has struck out at least 30% of the batters he has faced in every season since 2018 and only trails Spencer Strider in K% among qualified starters since the start of 2022. He also owns the best BAA and third highest FIP in that time frame. He’s now joining a loaded rotation in Los Angeles with support from the best bullpen in baseball as well, which might help Snell and the Dodgers limit his workload and remain healthy. If he does log a full season, he of course has Cy Young upside.
56. Manny Machado (33), 2024 rank: #50
2024: 643 PA, 29 HR, 105 RBI, 11 SB, .275/.325/.472, 122 wRC+, 2 DRS, 0 OAA, 3.6 fWAR
While it feels like Manny Machado is hitting his decline, I still believe he is one of the top third basemen in baseball. He comes in ranked as my sixth best third baseman in the game which is one of the more loaded positions at the moment, but let’s not forget he’s only a few years removed from an MVP-caliber season. He’s still an above-average bat, and while the defensive metrics suggest he has regressed to league-average, I don’t believe there’s a lot of other third baseman in the league that teams would rather have manning their hot corner than Machado. While I do believe Machado’s best years are behind him, he still has the ability to put up All-Star numbers, so I wouldn’t be so quick to write him off just yet.
55. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 90.0 IP, 3.00 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 1.11 WHIP, 22.6 K-BB%, 2.8 fWAR
Although it was a rough start to his big league career and he dealt with injury, Yamamoto ended up being exactly who we projected him to be when it was all said and done. Minimum 90 innings, Yamamoto was a top ten pitcher in baseball according to FIP, xFIP (2.86), and SIERA (3.14). He put up a solid showing in his first postseason last year as well, logging a 3.86 ERA over 18.2 innings which included allowing one run in 6.2 innings of work in his lone World Series start. Yamamoto displays a wide arsenal with a few plus pitches and an ability to limit damage. Over the course of a full season, I like for Yamamoto to continue to rise up this list.
54. Jackson Chourio (21), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 573 PA, 21 HR, 79 RBI, 22 SB, .275/.327/.464, 117 wRC+, 12 DRS, 6 OAA, 3.9 fWAR
Jackson Chourio broke on to the scene as one of the top rookies in baseball last year at just the ripe age of 20. The young right fielder was one of just four players last year with 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 10 defensive runs saved in the field, which established himself as one of the better well-rounded talents in the game. Among players 25 or younger, Chourio was a top ten player by AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, wRC+, and fWAR. His success at the plate wasn’t cheap either as ranked within the 60th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average EV, and hardhit%. Chourio is certainly a player on here in which I’m betting on upside over track record. He’s only entering his age 21 season and already has the tools to be an All-Star in this league.
53. Matt Chapman (32), 2024 rank: #98
2024: 647 PA, 27 HR, 78 RBI, 15 SB, .247/.328/.463, 121 wRC+, 17 DRS, 11 OAA, 5.5 fWAR
Ranking Matt Chapman as my 98th best player in baseball last year was probably a mistake. His offensive numbers somewhat dipped the last couple of years compared to when he first entered the league, but he still has consistently been one of the best defenders in all of baseball. Since he debuted in 2017, no other player in baseball has more defensive runs saved, and he also led all third basemen last year in DRS, OAA, and Fangraph’s DEF. Offensively among third basemen, he was a top five hitter by SLG, OPS, and wRC+. His 5.5 fWAR also ranked 11th in all of baseball. His lack of elite offense over the last couple of years is what keeps him just outside of the top 50, but while he remains an elite defender and above-average bat, Chapman should hang around as one of the top third baseman in baseball.
52. Sonny Gray (35), 2024 rank: #37
2024: 166.1 IP, 3.84 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 24.4 K-BB%, 3.8 fWAR
Although he’s now in his mid-30s, Sonny Gray is still a pitcher you can rely on to put up an All-Star caliber season. He’s only one year removed from a career-year in 2023, and remained as one of the better right-handed starters in the game in 2024. Gray finished eighth among qualified starters in FIP and managed to rank within the top three in xFIP (2.82), SIERA (3.03), K% (30.3), and K-BB%. Gray has a pretty deep arsenal and added a cutter in 2023 which has returned great results for him. There haven’t been any signs of age-related decline for Gray, but I did have to drop him a bit simply due to the fact that there are so many talented younger starters on the rise while Gray’s best years might be behind him. Regardless, I still like for Gray to have another great season.
51. Shane McClanahan (28), 2024 rank: N/A
2023 (2024 DNP): 115.0 IP, 3.29 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 17.1 K-BB%, 1.9 fWAR
Shane McClanahan missed the second half of the 2023 season and the entirety of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, but is set to return to the Rays this year as the Opening Day starter. Prior to sustaining the injury, McClanahan was one of the top pitchers in baseball in both 2022 and 2023. Among starters with at least 250 innings in that time frame, McClanahan ranked within the top ten in ERA, WHIP, BAA, K%, K-BB%, xFIP, and SIERA. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of workload he puts together in 2025 as he doesn’t have a 30 start season under his belt yet. He certainly has Cy Young-caliber stuff, so if he can deliver upwards of 160 to 180 innings, I like for McClanahan to make his top 50 debut next year.
